Brattleboro Union High School

A long, old hallway divulges my secrets.

She looked at herself many times, whispers the mirror in a voice so hoarse it scratches like

sandpaper.

I have met her puzzle pieces time and again, croaks the toy-strewn floor.

She wandered up and down me when she had nothing else to do, confides the worn rug.

She danced her fingers along my shelves, says the pock marked book shelf.

She listented to music and sang along, blares the old green radio.

I know the soles of her feet like I know myself, sings the rung on the chair.

I have captured a moment of her youth, sing-songs the silver framed photograph.

The beating of her heart was my closest friend, whispers the torn, black shirt.

She loved her family, say the many cards lining the window sill.

But she is gone, they whisper together.

She is gone.

If I told you that I had fallen in love by the age of two, you probably wouldn't believe me. If I told you that I live on a dirt road where the trees are crowned with pure gold from September to December and I can see a diamond suspended in the sky every night except for once every two weeks, you might just call me crazy. But if I told you that the thing I fell so deeply in love with was Vermont, or that the gold and diamonds were the autumn leaves and the glowing moon, I can only imagine you nodding your head and chuckling in agreement.

Animals

By Colin Hinckley
Brattleboro Union High School, Grade 11

I knew it was trouble from the moment I saw them. The three of them, standing on the edge of the baseball diamond, clustered together, laughing like hyenas. I was on the other side of the field, huddled around the adults watching over us, their jowls drooping, like benevolent buzzards. I never strayed far from their wary eye. I was small, and they could only see so far.
I stood guardedly by the bleachers, all my friends inexplicably absent from recess and me orphaned on a sea of AstroTurf. Later I would discover there had been a field trip of which I was unaware. The second grade class had gone to the zoo.

The Downfall of Time

By Amie Schiller
Brattleboro Union High School, Grade 10

Tick,
there goes the sky.
Turned black by the thickening fog.

Tock,
The river's are polluted
and are swarming
with dead fish.
Floating on the surface,
like icing on a cake.

tick,
the world is getting hotter,
day by day.
Soon the icecaps will melt,
and leave nothing,
but pooling water.

tock,
there goes the stars.
they were dazzling in their beauty,
but now,
are nonexisistent,
and listless.

tick,
there goes the day

tock,
Here comes the night

tick,
there goes the moon

tock,
here comes the hot,

tick,
there goes the world...

A broken heart,
Keeps on beating,
An open cut,
Will stop bleeding,

A lost soul,
Will find its way,
If someone loves you,
They will stay,

Don’t go crazy,
Don’t hurt yourself,
They aren’t worth it,
Their brain needs help,

If they left you,
They’re stupid and dumb,
If they are gone,
Their brain must be numb,

They know nothing,
They arent smart,
If they broke your,
Golden heart.

Prom is just a dance. It is just a dance with fancy dresses waving around the dance floor, everyone acting like they are Cinderella for a night. Well I, my friend, am too a Cinderella. I am a Cinderella without the happily ever after, or the handsome prince. I am the never ending Cinderella story, but don’t feel sorry for me, for I am not the only one. There are plenty of people out there just like me. Well here is my advice to you all; don’t give up, for all you know the next frog you kiss could be that prince.

The Boy

By Jonah Stoller
Brattleboro Union High School, Grade 9

“Fall is the best time to be in the woods” thought the boy as he urged his bicycle up a steeper part of the trail. He knew that this was true because he was at the age when everything that you think is true is true, regardless of what others say. He pedaled up a familiar rise in the ground, and coasted effortlessly down the other side where he promptly skidded on the rust-colored leaves and fell.
“Are you alright?” the boy’s friend asked as he slid to a halt beside his fallen companion.
“Yeah, I’m fine” came the response, muffled because the boy was head down in leaves.
“Well let's get going” the friend said “It’s getting late and I really should be getting home.”
“You go on, I’m gonna’ bike around for a bit longer.”
“OK. See you tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
They parted ways reluctantly, the friend going off one way down the trail, the boy another.

The boy pedaled through the trees, not paying attention because he knew the trail, and because he knew that the turnoff to the road was still far ahead. As he glided down a hill, he thought, with some reluctance, about having to go to school on Monday and about the homework he had to do, but had told his parents he didn‘t have to do. His mind dropped this topic like a live grenade and went to the beauty of the leaves. They were so many colors! Yellows, reds, oranges--some still with hints of green, some without. His favorites were the reds. They weren’t boring red, like the crayons in school, but exciting red, like fireworks on the Fourth of July. And so many variations! No two red leaves had the exact same shade! Thrilled at this new discovery, the boy stopped and bent down to examine a fallen red leaf. He marveled at it for a moment, and put it carefully in his pocket to bring home.

One night following a particularly warm summer day, my family, relatives and I were gathered out on the porch, talking.
“Lovely night” said my father. “If I wasn’t so tired, I would stay up to watch the stars, just like I did when I met your mother.”

When green is the grass,
My thoughts turn to spring,
And everything else,
This year will bring,

When summer comes round,
And suns burning hot,
I can’t help but think,
It’s my fault we fought,

And then there is fall,
When we’re back in school,
And every rich person,
Is closing their pool,

Then my thoughts wander,
To winter and ice,
When snow covers the ground,

You love him,
He loves you,
You hate love,
Yet it’s what you do,

I loved him,
And he loved me,
He let me go,
Says that I’m free,

Now you’re heart,
Says goodbye,
And he just sits,
Sits and cries,

He acts it out,
Like it was fake,
And all others think,
Soon you will wake,

Your nightmares not over,
Your dreams not complete,
Don’t wake up yet,

Real Life

By Samantha Rose Newell
Brattleboro Union High School, Grade 10

Now that I think about it,
Everything is real,
From the things you do,
To the things you feel,

Everything you touch,
All the tears you shed,
All the fury in your heart,
Is there until you're dead,

So don’t show your wrath,
Don’t show your fear,
Don’t bother with your enemies,
Just the ones you hold near,

Tears show your weakness,
But don’t conceal your pain,
For bottling up feelings,
Can drive someone insane.

Those eyes,
So big,
So hazel,
So phony,
Untrue to everything they stand for,
To everyone,

Saying it sincere,
But it wasn’t,
She hates me a lot,
Like she never loved,
Not me, not anyone,
But herself,

Selfish and spoiled,
She doesn’t even know,
Like she can’t even love,
Like she’s never been loved,
She hates and expects love,
No giving, just receiving,

Waiting on the World to Change

By Amie Schiller
Brattleboro Union High School, Grade 9

What time is it now?
It is the hour for friends,
friendship, giving,
loving and care.

It's time to stop the war,
bring the troops home
away from the violence, killing,
hunger and strife.
Home to their families
home for the holidays.

It's time for peace

My Yard

By Samantha Rose Newell
Brattleboro Union High School, Grade 10

It's where I go,
To run away,
To escape,
This very day,

It's where I talk,
On the phone,
With a friend,
Or all alone,

It's where I go,
To stay sane,
To live a life,
Subtract the pain,

To hear the sound,
Of rain and snow,
To feel the sun,
And watch plants grow.

It may seem strange,

Friends are forever,
And you were no friend,
So stay out of my life,
For our friendship has end.

It hurts to laugh,
With memories made,
Yet now you hate me,
And my heart you betrayed,

It wasn’t you,
It wasn’t me,
It was us,
Why can’t you see?

It takes us two,
To make this mess,
And you say it was me,
Please just confess,

You were there,
You saw it all,

My blood runs thick,
My heart runs pure,
Yet for this disease
There is no cure,

He was my love,
My life, my heart,
He will be the death,
As we depart.

People will run,
People will hide,
And for your life,
People have died.

Just take a look,
At what you will miss,
And what was there,
Please reminisce.

You know it was right,
You know it was true,
Because of a couple,

she looked me in the eye,
and didnt say a word,
like she didnt know me,
like i was nothing,
not even air,

she looked right through me,
and i turned aroud to see what was up,
and it was him,
her "man",
the person of her dreams,

they belong together,
he hates me,
and so does she,
i cant believe i told them both,
my life story,

now they know,
now rumors spred,

She looked at me,
With those big,
Beautiful,
Puppy dog eyes,
I taught her that,
And it doesn’t work on me,

She loved me,
Not anymore,
She hates me,
Like she always has,
But she hasn’t,
She loved me once,

She told me I should die,
I won’t,
But I considered it,
That thought quickly went away,
For good,
I love my life,

But I love her,
Like an attraction,

it died,
my heart,
he didnt answer and it hurt a lot,
but thats life,
you move on...
or your saposed to,
i cant,

he has another girl,
and im stuck here crying,
like a lost girl,
with nothing,
waiting for someone to pitty me,
and take me in,

its never going to happen,
ever,
i dont deserve pitty,
i dont deserve respect,
i deserve what im getting,
and thats nothing,

she look in my eyes,
like it was the first time she saw me.
i knew she liked me,
but i just rubbed it her face,
i liked her like i like everyone,
but she was the one i adored,
i looked up to her,
and she looked down apon me,

i dont knonw what to do,
its confuzing,
i loved her and she left me,
like i was gum,
under her shoe,
like i was crap,
stuck to a shovel,
she hates me.

You may think I’m crazy,
I just say insane,
For not liking any sunlight,
But loving all the rain,

I am only me,
Nothing more, nothing less,
And that’s both good and bad,
And it’s a clean kind of mess,

We were not close,
Just pretty good friends,
And hearts are freed from you,
I don’t want it to mend!

If your heart gets broken,
You will stay alive,
And if your pride gets destroyed,
I know you will survive,

Love is an idea,
And a broken hearts a thought,
So think the best of it,
Don’t cry or get caught,

If you “love” somebody,
I’m sure they will come back,
If they don’t that’s fine,
Just keep your life on track.

I can’t believe you hurt me
What did I do that was so bad?
That made it so you hated me
That made you so mad

I always will love you
And your love is all I need
No one will ever take your place
No ones mind ill ever read

I loved the way you looked at me
When our eyes first met
The first phone call you made to me
I thought our love was set

I guess I thought wrong

Heaven have mercy,
God take my hand,
All I need is a boy,
To call my man,

He can hug and kiss me,
In the rain,
And tell me I’m the one,
To keep me sane,

I will believe him,
And if it’s a lie,
I’ll be hurt,
But I won’t cry,

All is well,
And all is good,
Because good things end,
Just like they should,

It’s not like I’ll hate him,
Our love will be true,

I never miss a day
With my head on your chest
My heart was really beating fast
And I only did my best

I was hurt by the devil
You knew I was in pain
But I only had to think of you
In sunshine and in rain

Indeed you cleared the darkest clouds
And also cleared my mind
Of all the evil running around
To me you were so kind

Know now that I am over you

There once was a girl who lived in a world
A world full of family and friends
But who would of thought that when a friend and her fought
That very world would come to an end

Family was little, friends in the middle
Boys ran away for good
Apart we shall stay, unless there's a way
But we did all that we could

They have to pick sides, but through my eyes
Nobody wants to be with me

This game you’re playing with me
You will never let me beat
You’re supposed to be a gentleman
Others I don’t want to meet

It’s all a trick you’re playing on me
Ill never fall for it again
I’ve made that mistake once before
I don’t want to remember when

The good old days when we were together
Hand in hand we stood
Living the life others wanted
Being who we could

Falling,
Waiting to hit the ground
Nothing
Not even the slightest sound
Peaceful
Searching for the ground below
Just waiting
For the sight of the ground to show

Life
Ending before my eyes
Friends
Remembering all the lies
A boy
The reason for all these tears
One person
The cause of all my fears

One heart
And the reason that it’s broken
One soul

He is everywhere and nowhere,
He neither loves nor hates,
And for your arrival,
You know this man, he waits.

If he sees you around,
You will know it in a flash,
For with a rusty machete,
Your ears he will slash,

He will take your life slowly,
And you will suffer soon,
Only one eyeball,
He will gouge with a spoon.

You will look funny,
With one eye and no ears,

It will kill off your family,
Your friends and your pets,
You brought it to life,
And that you’ll regret,

It will haunt you forever,
You’ll wish you were dead,
But you can’t seem to die,
It will tear you to shreds,

The one thing not known,
What could it be?
That haunts you forever,
And lives next to me,

People don’t know it,
But it works by my side,